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Chick-In-Of-TheSea

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Posts posted by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

    Bolivian Ram Journal

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted · Edited by Chick-In-Of-TheSea
    Salt

    You guys, I am worried about little Spike. He’s not putting on weight and may even be skinnier. He ate a live worm yesterday and rejected the rest and went into hiding. He rejected other foods today and is looking more inactive. I have various med foods, I just want to make sure I use the correct one. Many times I have to remove excess food because he doesn’t want to try it. 😞

    IMG_6349.jpeg

    He has good days and bad days with eating.  Today is a bad day.

    i have been following the ACO paracleanse 7 day soak, and right now they are finishing up the 2 week rest in between. I’m supposed to do another 7 day soak to kill eggs that may have hatched or something? I wonder should I move forward with that or maybe I can still do that in conjunction with the medicated food.

    Oh also there is level 1 salt in the tank.

    • Sad 4

    Chick-in-of-TheSea journal

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted

    On 11/26/2023 at 7:14 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

    How’s the 55 gal project coming along? 😅

    Passed the CPA exams. 🥳  I’m about to make a job change; I’ve been interviewing etc. After job change I will have the budget!  Right now I’ve been window shopping stands, and I cannot find one I trust. Most of them are fiberboard and I can’t stand that. The metal ones don’t have storage cabinets. 🤷🏻‍♀️

    • Like 4

    Grace's Garden - A RTBS Planted Tank

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted · Edited by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

    On 11/21/2023 at 8:00 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

    Phosphate: 0.25-0.5 ppm (added phosphate pads just to use them and help if it's an issue, they won't be in there long)

    I still have PhosPure from Dr. Foster & Smith. I would like to reduce phosphate too because the hair algae in the shrimp tank tries to run rampant. I’ve been keeping it at bay by keeping the lights off. I read that PhosPure is rust! I wonder if that’s true?  That sounds like a terrible idea, no?.. adding metals (essentially) to shrimp tank.. and yet the product claims to reduce heavy metals so.. idk, I would need to research further before using this again. I know it is ok with fish though.

     

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    Chick-in-of-TheSea journal

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted · Edited by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

    On 11/23/2023 at 8:19 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

    My baby longfin bristlenose

    Alright, saw a Black Friday deal 2 pleco caves for $9.50 so I got in on that. One is small and the other medium. So we can upsize when baby grows.

    image.png.c6cf75bf636d16a46034bfc9d097e1da.png
    lame ad photo lacking a pleco

    5.5g tanks on sale half price. Perfect for bottom shelf of 2nd stand. Man, every time I say I won’t use a bottom shelf anymore, it doesn’t work out.. 🙄

     

    • Love 1

    Chick-in-of-TheSea journal

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted · Edited by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

    My baby longfin bristlenose will be picked up for me in South FL this weekend. I just learned this today! 😅 Guess I need another QT tank!  I don’t want to reset the timer on the QT I have in progress. I finally got some photos of an adult and a baby from the tank.

    Adult:

    IMG_2598.jpeg.1014c2b4ea316ceea4145a6d9f6d0d84.jpeg

    Baby:

    IMG_2597.jpeg.0329789f306608aa1d8fa6b7496f7eb3.jpeg

    If anyone has care tips, let me know! I’ve got some mopani wood, zucchini, green beans, squash, algae wafers, Soilent Green Repashy, and Community Plus Repashy. Other sinking food is cichlid pellets and various snail foods. I figure the Repashy and the boiled veggies to start. Oh I guess I need to pick up a pleco cave too! I think one of the 2 LFS may have one. Although I heard a pvc with the cap on the end works in the interim.

    I could get more than one pleco but I worry about their bioload..?

    • Love 2

    Betta hiding and looks like has a swollen right eye

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

    On 11/23/2023 at 3:23 PM, JillianGarcia05 said:

    what would an ammonia level look like at the lower amount? Would it be the 25 ppm?

    Your ultimate goal is to get to zero. If you keep getting anything above that, water change 25% with Prime and test again the next day. After the ammonia goes away you’ll do the same thing with any nitrite readings. Anything above zero, water change & test next day.

    On 11/23/2023 at 3:23 PM, JillianGarcia05 said:

    I noticed that she seems to get stressed out over environmental change. Based on your experience, should I hold off on putting the silk plants in until she starts to feel better? Just don't want to keep stressing her out, the tank changes have been doing that.

    Yes, that is ok. Just follow her cues. She probably feels vulnerable right now. Nothing is a rush other than keeping the water safe for her through testing and maintenance.

    It is really great that she is coming out to eat. 

    On 11/23/2023 at 3:23 PM, JillianGarcia05 said:

    Also got her a betta log (floating)

    Bettas love those!!

    On 11/23/2023 at 3:23 PM, JillianGarcia05 said:

    happy holidays to you and your family!

    Happy holidays to you as well!

    • Like 1

    Looking for a nano tank self-priming, quiet HOB filter

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

    On 8/6/2023 at 2:38 PM, HoosierJeff said:

    Folks -

    I’m in the market for small, quiet HOB filters for two tanks (5 gallon shrimp colony and 10 gallon betta tank.) The catch is we get enough short power outages that I need self-priming filters. Self-priming filters that have low enough flow for a small tank and a betta are hard to find, though. 

    Have any recommendations? 
     

    (FWIW, I’m coming from sponge filters, but I *hate* hearing the pumps (the betta tank is in my bedroom), and I’ve had enough of the nano pumps die on me, that I’m looking for a different solution.)

    Thanks for your help and input!

    Not sure if mentioned yet but Marina S10 HOB for the 10 gal tank. Add a baffle or suction cup soap dish with flat marbles in it under the outflow to control current. The pump sits in the tank and it self primes. Easy peasy!

    • Like 1

    Betta hiding and looks like has a swollen right eye

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

    On 11/22/2023 at 7:19 PM, JillianGarcia05 said:

    Hi @AllFishNoBrakes, @Chick-In-Of-TheSea and @JE47

    Thank you SO much for your helpful tips and tricks! I really feel overwhelmingly blessed with all the replies (and I'm sure Augustine my betta does too). 

    I'll work on removing the plastic plants and replacing them with silk and the catappa leaves.

    @Chick-In-Of-TheSea So should I still use the Seachem stability and stress guard too during this process? Or is there a point I should stop? 

    Just making sure. Also, what's a "safe" ammonia level to see during this fish-in-tank cycle?

    I don’t have experience with those products in particular, and cannot advise on that. Looks like stability is bacteria (like Fritz Zyme 7) and Stress Guard stimulates slime coat (like Stress Coat).  Salt will do the same thing: stimulate slime coat. If you use salt, no need for Stress Guard.

    Safe ammonia is zero. Any amount of ammonia is toxic, unless it is “locked up” with Prime. Remember the lock-up effect only lasts a day.

    One thing I can suggest though, is to add extra air. The more products in the tank, the more air the fish will require. Even dechlorinator reduces dissolved oxygen levels in the tank.

    • Like 1

    Betta hiding and looks like has a swollen right eye

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

    On 11/22/2023 at 6:55 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

    Instead, get some sponge you can put in there. Once the sponge is in there, you can clean it in a bucket with tank water during water changes and you won’t have to replace the sponge for many years. 
     

    Keep testing, water change as necessary, always use Prime with those water changes, and “hot rod” your filter with a sponge and you’ll be through this in no time. 

    To add to this suggestion, 

    I would recommend getting the cycle resolved first so things don’t get weird again. LOL

    Then later you can work on the filter media, but you’ll want to do that when you have some bottled bacteria on hand. You’ll want to ensure that there are always beneficial bacteria on your filter media to consume the harmful ammonia and nitrite. I like Fritz Zyme 7, but there is one that is stronger (more beneficial bacteria) and is made especially for new tanks: it is called Fritz Turbo Start. 

    Betta hiding and looks like has a swollen right eye

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

    On 11/22/2023 at 4:19 PM, JillianGarcia05 said:

    Based on this, the ammonia is way too high (should be zero), and alose the NO3 readings indicated my tank hasn't cycled

    On 11/20/2023 at 4:10 PM, JillianGarcia05 said:

    I made sure to cycle it a full 24 hours before putting her in

    Hi @JillianGarcia05 and welcome to the forum!  Your intuition about the tank not cycling is correct. Normally it takes a few weeks to cycle a tank (fishless cycle). You are now in a fish-in cycle, and the algae you see (I’m assuming it’s brown/dusty) is called diatoms. That is a good sign that means the cycle is underway. From this point, you will need to keep your fish safe from ammonia and nitrite. Those are the 2 things to watch.

    Daily routine:

    Water test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate 

    Water change 25% using Prime

    The water change will dilute ammonia, and any that remains will be detoxified by the Prime. You WILL still get an ammonia (or nitrite) reading even with the Prime. That’s ok. It didn’t go away; it was made safe. The detoxifying effects of Prime last about a day, and that’s why you’ll need to stay on top of this routine. Once you start reading nitrate, and 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, your cycle is complete. 🔥 HOT TIP: live plants EAT ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate (in that order of preference). Add those if you can!

    Your fish’s eye may have been injured. You can help the fish by adding Indian almond leaves to the water as well as a level 1 salt dose (1 Tbsp per 3 gallon). Using aquarium salt (not marine salt) dissolve it in a cup of tank water first, then slowly pour it into your tank. https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/aquarium-salt-for-sick-fish.  Salt is a broad-spectrum treatment and so are the leaves, so if you haven’t pinpointed the exact diagnosis, that’s ok.

    Once you get your leaves into the water, I would recommend pulling out the plastic plants to prevent further injury and either replace with silk as @Kaiju suggested, or live plants. Plastic plants are usually no issue.. except with bettas.

    Here are 2 videos that I find very helpful for your situation.

     

     

    This filter video shows what you can do to improve your filter. As @JE47 pointed out, changing a cartridge could restart your cycle. The dirty truth of it is, the filter manufacturers would like to continue to make profit, so they lead customers to believe that regular cartridge replacements are the best thing to do. That’s not the best thing in the interest of your fish’s or tank’s health.

     

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